I’d like to pre-emptively say that although the GT community is great and empathetic and supportive: I’m not in a place yet where I can deal with condolences or empathy, and I have to keep myself together until Thursday night ... at which point we can do all the feelings anybody wants to do.

I just have a really practical question and anything except really practical answers isn’t very helpful today. (Again, on Thursday night: let’s do all the impractical feelings stuff.)

FluterDog’s kidneys are failing. They’re trying one last therapy tonight, but if it doesn’t work, she will need to be euthanized tomorrow. (I am also working at a kids camp that has me in charge of 10-40 kids at various times throughout the day, hence my emphasis on avoiding condolences, grief, etc.)

For those of you with multiple dog households, how have you dealt with the death of one? Should I take FluterPup to the vet beforehand to see FluterDog one last time? Should she be at the vet when it happens, so she understands FluterDog is gone? (FluterDog is alert and happy, as long as she’s on fluids, if that makes a difference. We can’t take her home, but I don’t think the presence of the puppy would be a nuisance.) Or am I being morbid and gross, and should I just plan to leave her at home?

FluterPup seems to be handling her absence from the house pretty well and hasn’t let on that she notices. Maybe she’s still a shitty, selfish teenager? (She’s 18 months old, if that matters.) I just don’t want any weird, neurotic crying in like ... six weeks when she figures it out. Or to sow the seeds for separation anxiety.

How have you handled it? What would you do differently? Anecdotal experience welcome.